Sexual Vitality for Men: Erectile Dysfunction
The 1994 Massachusetts Male Aging Study established erectile dysfunction (E.D.) as a plague stalking American men. Of 1,290 men aged 40-70 years, 50 percent of men over 50 and 70 percent of men over 70 suffered from E.D. In 1998 former U.S. Senator Bob Dole helped make E.D. the topic of everyday conversation when he honestly responded to a question about the aftermath of his prostate surgery on the Larry King Show. Producers of the segment said that their phone lines were immediately flooded with calls. Millions of men indicated that, not only could they identify, they wanted help.
When you were in your 20’s, you probably thought no more about getting an erection hard on than you did about swallowing or peeing. Though seemingly effortless, your youthful erections resulted by a complex interplay between your nervous system, biologic activity and your hormones that begin when libido causes the sympathetic nervous system to release nitric oxide. Nitric oxide causes the arteries to enlarge and blood to engorge the penis. A continual supply is essential for a firm, long-lasting erection. Both ED and heart disease have been linked with impaired nitric oxide activity although struggles with erectile function usually preceded by symptoms of heart disease by several years. Release of nitric oxide can be sabotaged by elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, increased triglycerides, smoking, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and low testosterone levels. Because men with low testosterone are also at greater risk for heart disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, the convergence amplifies the risk that optimum production of nitric oxide will be disrupted.
